X1 & X2 Visa GuideUnofficial When a China visa is not issued: the six grounds in Article 21 and why no reason is given
Unofficial summary · Sources checked
A China visa is not issued when one of the six circumstances listed in Article 21 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law applies, and the Law states that the visa-issuing authorities are not required to give reasons for refusing to issue a visa. The six grounds are written for "foreigners" generally; Article 21 does not name foreign students, and the Law does not set out a separate, student-only list. This page sets out those six items in plain words with the Law's own wording alongside, the sentence that no reason is required, the parallel rule at the border in Article 25, and what the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom says about inaccurate or incomplete information.
The Law was adopted on 30 June 2012 and came into force on 1 July 2013 (Law, Article 93). The English text quoted here is the English text published on the National Immigration Administration's website; that web page is dated 10 March 2021.
The six grounds for not issuing a visa (Law, Article 21)
Article 21 opens: "Under any of the following circumstances, visas shall not be issued to foreigners:" (Law, Article 21). The six items, in plain words and in the Law's wording, are:
| Item | In plain words | Wording in the Law |
|---|---|---|
| (1) | You were deported, or repatriated upon decision, and the period during which you may not enter China has not yet ended. | "Was deported, or was repatriated upon decision, and the No-Entry-into-China period has not expired;" |
| (2) | You have a serious mental disorder, infectious tuberculosis, or another infectious disease that may seriously harm public health. | "Is suffering from serious mental disorders, infectious tuberculosis or other infectious diseases that may severely jeopardize the public health;" |
| (3) | You may endanger China's national security or interests, disrupt social and public order, or carry out other illegal or criminal activities. | "May endanger China’s national security or interests, or disrupt social and public order, or engage in other illegal or criminal activities;" |
| (4) | You used fraudulent acts in the visa application, or you cannot guarantee your expected expenses during your stay in China. | "Resort to fraudulent acts in visa application or cannot guarantee expected expenditures during their stay in China;" |
| (5) | You did not provide information that the visa-issuing authority required. | "Fail to submit relevant information required by the visa-issuing authorities;" |
| (6) | Some other circumstance in which the visa authority considers that a visa should not be issued. | "Other circumstances in which visa authorities consider a visa should not be issued." |
Article 21 uses the word "foreigners". The Law names foreign students in Articles 42, 43 and 45; Article 21 is not one of those articles, so it applies to any foreigner, not only to students. The Law does not say that a different or shorter list applies to students.
Ground (5) is about information the authority asked for. This site's Documents page lists papers that are commonly asked for, but Article 21 itself does not name any document.
After the six items, Article 21 ends with this sentence: "The visa-issuing authorities are not required to give reasons for refusing the issuance of a visa." (Law, Article 21)
Why no reason is given
The Law states directly that the visa-issuing authorities are not required to give reasons for refusing to issue a visa (Law, Article 21). It does not say that an applicant has a right to an explanation, and it does not say that the authority must identify which of the six items applied.
At the border, the same principle is written separately. Article 25 ends with the sentence: "Exit/entry border inspection authorities are not required to give reasons for denying an entry." (Law, Article 25)
The parallel rule at the border (Law, Articles 24, 25 and 26)
Article 24 says that foreigners who enter China shall submit their passports, other international travel documents, visas or other entry permits to the exit/entry border inspection authorities for examination, go through the prescribed formalities, and may enter upon examination and approval (Law, Article 24).
Article 25 then says that foreigners shall not be allowed to enter China under any of the following circumstances:
- (1) Hold no valid exit/entry documents, or refuse or evade border inspection (Law, Article 25(1));
- (2) Are involved in any of the circumstances specified in Subparagraph (1) through (4) of the first paragraph of Article 21 of this Law (Law, Article 25(2));
- (3) May engage in activities not conform to the types of visa after entering China (Law, Article 25(3)); or
- (4) Other circumstances in which entry is not allowed in accordance with laws or administrative regulations (Law, Article 25(4)).
Item (2) refers only to subparagraphs (1) through (4) of Article 21. It does not refer to Article 21(5), the failure to submit required information, or to Article 21(6), the "other circumstances" item. So the border rule does not simply repeat the whole of Article 21.
If entry is denied, Article 26 says the exit/entry border inspection authorities shall order the foreigner to return, and shall force the return of those who refuse to do so. While waiting for return, those foreigners shall not leave the restricted zones (Law, Article 26).
What the UK embassy says about inaccurate or incomplete information
The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United Kingdom, on its page "Part Two: How to Apply for a Visa for China (Mainland only)", has a section headed "VI. Important Notices". That page carries a time stamp of 1 July 2020. In that section:
- It asks applicants to fill in the application form truthfully, clearly and completely (Embassy of the PRC in the United Kingdom, Important Notices (1)).
- It says applicants shall be responsible for the authenticity of the passport, application form, photo and any other supporting documents, including photocopies. It then states: "Any inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete information may lead to an extension of visa approval time, decline or rejection of a visa, or decline of entry into China." (Embassy of the PRC in the United Kingdom, Important Notices (2))
- It says authoritative interpretation remains with the Chinese Embassy and Consulate General, should there be any changes to the terms above (Embassy of the PRC in the United Kingdom, Important Notices (4)).
This is the statement of that one mission's page. The page does not say that every Chinese embassy or consulate uses the same wording or asks for the same things; requirements of other missions may differ, and the page itself places interpretation with the embassy and consulate general.
Questions people ask
Does the visa office have to tell me why my visa was refused?
No. Law, Article 21 says the visa-issuing authorities are not required to give reasons for refusing the issuance of a visa. The Law does not say that you are entitled to an explanation, and it does not say the authority must tell you which of the six items was applied. At the border, Law, Article 25 says the exit/entry border inspection authorities are not required to give reasons for denying an entry.
Is there a separate list of refusal grounds for students?
Article 21 applies to "foreigners" and does not name foreign students. The Law names foreign students in Articles 42, 43 and 45; Article 21 is not one of those articles. The Law does not set out a student-only list of grounds for not issuing a visa, and this page does not invent one.
Are the grounds for refusing entry at the border the same as the grounds for refusing a visa?
Not exactly. Law, Article 25 has its own four items. Its item (2) brings in the circumstances described in Article 21(1) to (4), but not Article 21(5) or (6). Article 25 also covers holding no valid exit/entry documents or refusing or evading border inspection (Article 25(1)), possibly engaging in activities that do not conform to the visa type after entry (Article 25(3)), and other circumstances in which entry is not allowed under laws or administrative regulations (Article 25(4)).
Can inaccurate or incomplete information on the application lead to a refusal?
The UK embassy page states that any inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete information may lead to an extension of visa approval time, decline or rejection of a visa, or decline of entry into China, and that applicants are responsible for the authenticity of the passport, application form, photo and other supporting documents (Embassy of the PRC in the United Kingdom, Important Notices (1) and (2)). Under the Law, Article 21(4) covers fraudulent acts in a visa application, and Article 21(5) covers failure to submit information required by the visa-issuing authorities. The first statement is the UK mission's; the second is the Law's own text.
Sources
- Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China — National Immigration Administration
- Embassy of the PRC in the United Kingdom — Part Two: How to Apply for a Visa for China (Mainland only) — Ministry of Foreign Affairs mission
Checked 11 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary of the official texts named above, is not legal or immigration advice, is not published by the National Immigration Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Embassy of the PRC in the United Kingdom, and if the official text or the instructions of the visa office or exit-entry office handling your case differ from this page, the official text and those instructions prevail.